BADF Articles

Codey’s Buck

By Buckmasters Online

On Tuesday, Nov. 25th, 2014, The Buckeye Buckmasters Chapter of the BADF and Dakota Outfitters partnered to host a special deer hunt for a very special young man.

Now 15-year-old Codey St John from Bellaire, Ohio, was diagnosed with stage 4 Neuroblastoma at the tender age of 6. Neuroblastoma is a cancer in children that arises from the nerve tissue outside of the central nervous system. Codey has undergone countless procedures and treatments over the past 10 years while battling the disease into remission.

Close friends of Codey and his father, Rick, Scott and Dennis Wilcox attended the Buckeye Buckmasters fundraising banquet last September. When Pryor & Son Auctioneers began to sell a Youth Deer Hunt donated by Dakota Outfitters near Quaker City, Ohio, Scott’s hand never left the air. Knowing that their friend Codey loves to hunt and has dreamed of taking a big buck, the Wilcoxes purchased the hunt and presented it to Codey as a gift.

After working out scheduling around Codey’s treatments and health issues, the hunt was set for the afternoon of Nov. 25.

Joining Codey in the stand were his dad, guide Eric Stonecipher, and Shane Skinner representing the Buckeye Buckmasters.

Several deer roamed past Codey’s elevated box blind before he settled his crosshairs on a beautiful buck. Codey anchored the battle-scarred, 15-point bruiser with one well placed shot. Both Codey and Rick were ecstatic.

As an added bonus, Codey’s buck is being mounted free of charge by taxidermist Ben Riggenbach of Mossy Rock Taxidermy in Woodsfield, Ohio.

Special thanks to Dakota Outfitters and Mossy Rock Taxidermy for their generosity and support of the BADF. Also, a very special thank you to Scott and Dennis Wilcox and their families. People helping people is what the BADF is all about.